I've also got some of Dylan Hannon's "Bloemfontein" B. volubilis seedlings growing. Considering the price of the seed, it must set seed pretty readily. It certainly had high viability. According to him it's pretty typical, although from what he said it sounds like it keeps more of a tunic around the bulb. (I wonder if the Bloemfontein designation comes from it being derived from wild plants near Bloemfontein, or if it's stock from the botanical garden there...or both?) As far as crossing B. volubilis and A. bracteata, I doubt that would work - they're not terribly closely related. IIRC it is currently considered the sister taxon to the rest of the Urginoideae. Be interesting to try, I guess. On Tue, Jan 5, 2021, 9:30 PM Robert Lauf via pbs < pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > Has anyone tried to cross Bowiea with the pregnant onion (Ornithogalum > longibracteum/ Albuca bracteata)? > > > Bob > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > Dave, > > I was given the typical form of Bowiea volubilis, as in your picture, > years ago and have grown it since then (in a greenhouse, NW Arkansas), > and it's in growth now, though not yet in flower. I've never tried to > self it, and normally there are no spontaneous seeds set, but I seem to > remember that I did get seeds one year. > > But I also grow the gariepensis subspecies, and have had the "nana" form > in the past - though I can't seem to find it today - and the greenhouse > is open for ventilation when it's warm, so those might have been hybrid > seeds courtesy of some passing insect. I don't need more of that form, > so I didn't sow the seed and can't be sure it was viable. > > I'll try to do a more controlled experiment when I see flowers this > time. I did try selfing the gariepensis once and did not get seed. > > Steve > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net>